The Meaning of Deuteronomy 1:17 Explained

Deuteronomy 1:17

KJV: Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

YLT: ye do not discern faces in judgment; as the little so the great ye do hear; ye are not afraid of the face of any, for the judgment is God's, and the thing which is too hard for you, ye bring near unto me, and I have heard it;

Darby: Ye shall not respect persons in judgment: ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God's; and the matter that is too hard for you shall ye bring to me, that I may hear it.

ASV: Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring unto me, and I will hear it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Ye shall not respect  persons  in judgment;  [but] ye shall hear  the small  as well as the great;  ye shall not be afraid  of the face  of man;  for the judgment  [is] God's:  and the cause  that is too hard  for you, bring  [it] unto me, and I will hear  it. 

What does Deuteronomy 1:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 1:1-18 - Moses Recalls The Start From Horeb
To this new generation Moses spake the holy law of God, since they had not heard it at Sinai. In view of the great Lawgiver's approaching decease, it was necessary to re-edit it. The name of this book means the second giving of the Law.
The Red Sea in Deuteronomy 1:1, a.v., must be replaced by Suph, r.v. Evidently it was somewhere in the neighborhood of Pisgah. It is meet for us on a birthday, or some such anniversary, to review the way that the Lord our God has conducted us. He is the God of our fathers, and of the Covenant. Before us is set the land of our inheritance. God calls us to go in and possess it. He hath "blessed us with all spiritual blessings"¦ in Christ," but we must appropriate and possess by faith. And the faith that claims depends on the obedience that conforms to the divine Law, Ephesians 1:3; 2 Peter 1:3. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 1

1  Moses' speech in the end of the fortieth year
6  briefly rehearsing the history of God's sending them from Horeb
14  of giving them officers
19  of sending the spies to search the land
34  of his anger for their incredulity
41  and disobedience

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 1:17 mean?

Not You shall respect persons in judgment the small as well as the great you shall hear not you shall be afraid in presence of any man for the judgment God's Is and the case that is too hard for you bring to me and I will hear it
לֹֽא־ תַכִּ֨ירוּ פָנִ֜ים בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט כַּקָּטֹ֤ן כַּגָּדֹל֙ תִּשְׁמָע֔וּן לֹ֤א תָג֙וּרוּ֙ מִפְּנֵי־ אִ֔ישׁ כִּ֥י הַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט לֵאלֹהִ֣ים ה֑וּא וְהַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִקְשֶׁ֣ה מִכֶּ֔ם תַּקְרִב֥וּן אֵלַ֖י וּשְׁמַעְתִּֽיו

תַכִּ֨ירוּ  You  shall  respect 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָכַר 
Sense: to recognise, acknowledge, know, respect, discern, regard.
פָנִ֜ים  persons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט  in  judgment 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
כַּקָּטֹ֤ן  the  small 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
כַּגָּדֹל֙  as  well  as  the  great 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
תִּשְׁמָע֔וּן  you  shall  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
תָג֙וּרוּ֙  you  shall  be  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: גּוּר 
Sense: to sojourn, abide, dwell in, dwell with, remain, inhabit, be a stranger, be continuing, surely.
מִפְּנֵי־  in  presence 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אִ֔ישׁ  of  any  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הַמִּשְׁפָּ֖ט  the  judgment 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
לֵאלֹהִ֣ים  God's 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְהַדָּבָר֙  and  the  case 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יִקְשֶׁ֣ה  is  too  hard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָשָׁה  
Sense: to be hard, be severe, be fierce, be harsh.
מִכֶּ֔ם  for  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
תַּקְרִב֥וּן  bring 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
אֵלַ֖י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וּשְׁמַעְתִּֽיו  and  I  will  hear  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.